Taking on Life
by greenFox169
Summary: Two students meet at a private school and learn more about each other as they spend more time together.  new chapter up!   please R&R!
1. They Meet

"Hi, my name is Riku. I saw you sitting all alone and thought you could use some company." He looked down at the beautiful blonde's lap. "Do mind me asking what you are drawing?"

"Hey, I'm Namine. I'm not lonely but I wouldn't mind your company. This is just something that I've been dreaming lately." She said as she lifted up the notebook to Riku. "So what about you? Are you lonely?"

"Kind of. I don't know anyone here. I've never really been away from home. This is a new experience to me," he said as he flipped through the pages. "Wow, you are a great artist. Are these all from dreams or what?"

"Thank you, I haven't ever shown my drawings before. No one seems to want to know. I dream most of them and create the rest at the spot. If you don't know anyone and haven't ever been away from home, then how did you get to be here?"

"I have a need for new experiences and knowledge, so I decided that a private school would be an interesting combination. And after a little convincing I got here. I understand not having anyone want to know the inner you. It gets depressing sometimes. Like no one in the world is there for you." Riku looked up at the sky and breathed deep. "Sometimes I wonder if there is anything out there for me. I want things so bad but I don't know if they are worth the time to try to get."

"I feel the same way sometimes. I have different ways than the kids here. I stay away from the crowds. They don't seem to ever warm up to me so I just sit on here under this tree and draw. It works, but I do feel incomplete sometimes. You appear to be a cool guy. Where are you staying at? In a dorm or with a family?"

Riku looked down at the perfect time to notice Namine's blue eyes and sad face. "I am staying with a family. Well, kind of a family. It's a married couple that always wanted kids but couldn't have them. When I got here they were very nice, but very quiet. I suppose they are just warming up to the idea of having a son. I told them that I wouldn't mind them calling me that. It looked like they liked that. What about you?"

"I live with a family too. But they are like my blood now. I've been living with them for two years. They had a son and a daughter but they were killed in a car crash coming home from a football game six years ago. I call them by their names and sometimes mom and dad. A lot of the families that take in the kids that go here have lost their own kids or never could have them. It's a kind of therapy for them, or at least that's how I see it. Some of the kids that go here like being with families too, it helps them deal with things that they couldn't at their own home." The school bell rang. "Would you like me to show you to your classes? My teachers won't mind me being late, I have almost perfect attendance."

"That would be great. I need that actually. I don't know where anything is." Riku offered his hand to help Namine to her feet. Once she was standing he carried a few of her books for her. She looked at his long hair that covered half of his face. She liked how he swept it from his eyes with a jerk of his head. She liked how he was a gentleman to her. On the way to his first class she thought she might actually have a crush on this guy that she had only just met.

Riku was thinking about the girl walking right beside him. He was thinking about holding her hand, but she probably didn't like him like that. Especially after just meeting him for the first time. He couldn't help the way he felt drawn to her though. It was strong and powerful in him. Riku decided to keep the conversation going. "So what do you do out of school besides draw?"

Namine looked over into his sexy eyes. "That's mostly it, I draw. I like to play video games too. Halo, Gears of War, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty are what I'm good at. I know it's weird for a girl to be into games like that, but I'm not an average girl."

"I know you aren't. I've never met a girl like you before in my life"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud," Riku shook his head in disappointment of himself. "It was a complement."

"Thank you. And if it means anything, I've never met a guy like you." Namine stopped walking. For a moment Riku was going to actually kiss her, but before he could she spoke. "Well, here is your class. The teacher is nice, but you need to pay attention to understand the lesson. I hope it goes well for you, and if you want I will meet you right here when the bell rings for next class." Inside she was hoping he would let her spend more time with him.

"Yeah, I have no idea where I would go next. So I'll see you here in a little while?"

"Sure. Ok, I'll see you then." She walked off to her next class thinking about the morning. She was glad she had sat down to draw instead of going to the library to read.

Riku could barely think about class. His mind was stuck on Namine. She had a sadness about her and a mystery that intrigued him. He was lucky the teacher was giving a simple "first day of the school year" lecture. He could still see her face clearly in his thoughts. But mostly Riku pictured her smile when he told her that he was complementing her. She seemed so happy to hear that. It made him wonder if she was lonely at school with no one to talk to. He wanted to be the one that she opened up to.


	2. School Day

Namine counted the ticks from the clock. It was impossible to do her work. Riku was all she could think about. His voice captivated her. It sent chills down her spine. He made her feel safe inside. She felt relaxed in his presence. The teacher's voice was a drone in her ears as she thought about how she could spend time with him outside of school. Maybe she could walk him home, help him with his homework, or even stay at school to show him around even more. Finally the bell rang and Namine speeded towards his Physics class. He was there waiting for her.

Riku was amazed at how beautiful she looked walking down the crowded hallway. It was like he was in a cheesy movie. He liked the way her hair bounced and flowed as she came up to him. "Ready to take me to Chemistry?"

"Chemistry? Who's your teacher?" Namine was too scared to jump to conclusions.

"Ms. Fakkiri, do you not know where the class is?"

"Oh, I know where the class is. That is my second period class as well." Namine couldn't believe she was right. This was great. She could sit next to him and smell his cologne all class.

"That's cool. We can sit together. If you don't mind of course," Riku said in one breath.

"I would love to sit with you," Namine turned to her right. "Okay, we go this way."

Riku thought about holding her hand again but was too scared. It was too soon for him to know how she felt. But he did walk closer to her than earlier.

Namine was wondering what she could say to him to get him to want to hang out that afternoon. She didn't know what he liked to do in his spare time so she was a little lost on the topic. After casually asking a few questions she learned that he loved to hang out at the beach, wakeboarding was his thing, and he couldn't live without music.

"Why do you ask? Is there a beach around here? Is the ocean far?" Riku asked like an excited child. He could feel more at home if he could do things like he's used to.

"Well, not the ocean. But there is a nice lake about twenty minutes from the school. It's a quiet place that I like to go to after school to draw."

"Are you going today?" Riku hoped he didn't sound to eager as Namine looked into his eyes.

"Maybe, it depends on how much homework I have. If it is only in one or two classes then I will," Namine took a deep breath. "Would you like to go with me? If your family is ok with it and you don't have something to do."

"We talked last night and said that if I met someone who wanted to hang out, that all I had to do was call them and make sure that they know the other person. And I would love to see this lake. It would make me feel less homesick. Let's talk about it after school." He was sad to end the conversation, but they had just walked into the classroom. He picked out two seats in the middle of the class and they both sat down.

As the bell rang, the teacher walked in and shut the door behind her. She was an older woman with a smile on her face and appeared to be a fun loving woman. "Today is the first day of the second semester. Who here feels like learning something?" No one raised their hand. "Ha! Too bad, kids. Life doesn't care what you feel like doing. It will do what it wants and you have to deal with it. My name is Ms. Fakkiri. If you don't feel like being here, then leave." Three students got up. "But if you do you will be counted truant." The students sat down. "See? Life doesn't care. That was just an extra lesson, free of charge and had nothing to do with Chemistry. So let's get to that. If you look to my right you will see a door. That door is the chemistry lab. Please don't be idiots and try to steal chemicals and think that you can make rocket fuel. It will either kill you or not work period. Moving on, make up work is only good for points if you turn it in the day after you return."

Riku then stopped paying as much attention to her and began to write Namine a note on a sheet of paper. He liked the way this teacher was and hoped Namine did too. He was also hoping that he wouldn't have too much homework after school so he could hang out with her. Halfway through the note the teacher came by.

"What is your name, son?" Ms. Fakkiri asked.

"Riku, mam."

"And I see that you are writing," she took the paper off the desk and read it quietly. "Well I am very pleased to know that you like my teaching method, but that will mean nothing if you don't pay attention to it." She placed the paper back on the desk. "I'm just guessing that you were going to give it to Namine?" Riku nodded his head. "Ok, thank you for being honest. For that I will not give you detention. Now, do you want to participate in a little experiment with me?"

"Sure, is it a chemistry experiment?" Riku asked.

"Of course, boy. This is a chemistry class after all. You go over to my desk and bring me both cups of liquid." Riku did as told. "If you mix dangerous chemicals together you will get an explosion." She poured a packet of powder into both cups. "As you see, nothing happened." She took the cups from Riku. "But when I do this, it becomes a different story." She poured one cup's liquid into the other. The cup started to foam. She then walked over to a sink in the corner and placed the cup in the middle. The cup and its mixture then started to steam. "When you mix dangerous chemicals sometimes you get an explosion, sometimes you only get this. For the rest of the class I want you all to write a paper over what you just saw and what you learned. That is all you have to do and if you do not finish simply do it for homework."

With thirty minutes left, Riku and Namine got busy on the paper. When the bell finally rang they each had wrote on the front and back. As they left the class they handed the papers to Ms. Fakkiri. She nodded and they left the room.

It was lunchtime. School was almost over for the day. Throughout lunch they subtly flirted back and forth. Anyone watching could have thought they were a couple. Namine would play with Riku's hair, then he would tickle her. The two were having fun teasing each other when the bell for third period rang.

"Guess it's time to go. I have Algebra II next."

"Ok. That's just down the hall." She was sad to leave him but maybe it was good that they didn't get burned out on each other so soon.

The next few classes flew by for Riku. He really couldn't remember anything that he had learned. He was excited to see the lake. It was almost all he could think about. When school was out he found a pay phone to call his family to make sure it was ok to hang out. Riku was anxious to go when they gave their consent. He and Namine walked mostly in silence the whole way. It was a comfortable silence. It was a silence where they were each reflecting on things and sorting it all out in their minds.

When they finally reached the lake Riku was amazed at the sight. The water was a beautiful shade of blue and the green lustrous trees added to the beauty of it all. Only a few boats were out on the water. He looked around and saw four different beaches. Each one had its own look to it. The sand looked so inviting to him. He walked over to a pavilion to take off his socks and shoes and to put down his books. He then walked to the nearest sandbar. The sand on his bare feet felt like heaven. It reminded him of walking around after wakeboarding all day. After a few minutes he realized that he had left Namine at the pavilion. He turned around and called out to her, but she wasn't there.


End file.
